Carton having integrally formed cushioning means



Au 31, 1948, E; STONE 2,448,401

CARTON HAVING INTEGRALLY FORMED CUSHIONING MEANS Fild Oct. 20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Edward Sfone ATTORNE Y5 Aug. 31, 1948. E. STONE 2,443,401

CARTON HAVING INTEGRALLY FORMED CUSHIONING MEANS Filed on. 20-, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Edward Sfone ATTOQNE Y5 Patented Aug. 31, 1948 CARTON HAVING INTEGRALLY FORMED CUSHIONING MEANS 1, Edward Stone, San Francisco, Calif.

Application October 20, 1944, Serial No. 559,561

articles which will furnish a maximum degree-of protection against breakage or damage in the handling 01' thearticles incident to storage and shipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety carton which can be inexpensively manufactured from cardboard or similar lightweight packaging materials, and which may be quickly and easily assembled. A further object of the invention is the provision of a carton having the above-described characteristics and which may be made from a one-piece blank so designed as to reduce to a minimum the loss of raw material when the design is cut from a stock sheet. It is also an object of the invention to provide a safety carton furnishing a resilient support for the article to be packaged whereby protection may be afforded the delicate contents of radio tubes and like articles in the event that the same are roughly handled during shipment.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as this specification proceeds and the novel aspects thereof will be pointed out in the appended claims with the requisite degree of particularity.

In the drawings forming a part hereof, wherein one preferred form of the invention is illustrated,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carton embracing the invention, with parts broken away for sake of clarity, and

Figure 2 is a plan view of a blank of cardboard from which the carton of Figure 1 may be formed.

As indicated in Figure 1, the carton I0 is a four-sided boxlike structure made up from the central portion i2 oi the cardboard blank shown. in Figure 2, wherein the wall panels are defined by the vertically extending score lines l3. This shell may be retained in its boxlike form by any conventional means, such as a glue flap I4, formed as an extension on one edge of the central portion I: of the blank I and to be secured to the opposite edge of the element I2. The use of the glue flap is a well-known expedient in the art and is preferred although there are other ways of joining the edgcsto form the box, such as by stapling and the like.

The box shell I0 is additionally provided at its two ends with closure flaps l8 and I1, formed as extensions of alternate wall panels of the blank H, and provided with the oppositely arranged interlocking slits I8 and i9; respectively.

The resilient support for the radio tubev or other fragile article to be packed is provided'by forming elongated extensions 20 and 2lon wall panels of the blank alternating with the 2 Claims. (01. 229-39) 2 panels carrying the closure ilaps I6 and I1. In order to facilitate assembly of the box .III and access to the contents thereof, the widths of the flaps 20 and 2| are reduced in comparison to the wall panels 01' the blank The extension flaps 20 and 2| are arranged in pairs at opposite ends of the box It) and are adapted to be overlapped and interlocked by such means as a locking tab 24 disposed at the outer edge of extension 2| and a slot 25 arranged in extension panel 20 adjacent its inner end, to form the inwardly bowed tube supports 21 and 28.

It will also be noted that the pairs of complemental panels 20 and 2|, at opposite ends of the box III, are arranged at ninety degree angles to each other (see Figure 1), to provide two-way resiliency in the supports 21 and 20. for the tube 28.

In order topositively engage and suspend the radio tube 26 within the carton ID, the inwardly bowed supports 2! and 28 are provided with apertures characteristic of a portion oi the'radiotube to be received thereby. For example the bowed support 21 is provided with a circular aperture 28 to receive the crown end 30 of tube 28, whereas the bowed support 28 is provided with a square aperture ill to receive the contact pins 32 of the butt end of tube 28. r

The assembly of the box should be readily understood from the foregoing, but for sake of completeness may be described as follows: When the box shell III has been set up by attachment of glue flap H, the extension flaps 20 and 2|, at

' either end of the box, are folded and interlocked in inwardly bowed form by the locking ,tab 24 and slot 25. The selected end of the tube 28 is then inserted in the aperture 29 or 3|, as the case might be, and the extension flaps 20 and 2| at the opposite end of 'the box are then similarly Joined to form the other support engaging the opposite end of the tube. Following this the closure flaps l6 and H, for the respective ends, are interconnected to complete the package. It will be appreciated that access to the box, to permit inspection or removal of the contents, can be had upon simple disengagement of the closure flaps I6 and I1 and support flaps 20 and 2| at one end of the box, leaving the opposite end set up for re-packaging of the article.

It has been observed that even the'most sensitive radio tubes can be safely packed in the container forming the subject matter hereof, even though the package and contents be subjected to unusually rough treatment. When tossed about in drop tests, shock such as would normally render a radio tube useless, is absorbed by one or the other of the resilient supports 21 or 28. Moreover, the shock absorbing characteristic of the carton is increased in substantial degreeby the arrangement of the supports at to each 3 other, as this presents an over-all springy support capable oi absorbing a blow from either 0! the sides as well as the ends of the package.

While I have shown and described a preferred term of the device, it will be understood that the principles of the invention may be employed in other forms, and for this reason full protection is desired in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is: p

1. A carton for fragile articles comprising, a box shell, closure means for the ends of the shell, extension flaps integral with the walls oi the shell arranged in complemental pairs at opposite ends of the shell, the pairs or extension flaps at the respective ends of the shell being disposed at right angles to each other, and means for inte rconnecting the complemental extension members to form inwardly projecting bowed and resilient' supports for the article to be packed.

A carton for fragile articles comprising, a box shell, closure means for the ends of the shell,- extension flaps integral with the walls oi the shell arranged in complemental pairs at opposite ends of the shell, means for interconnecta} ing the complementai extension members to iorm inwardly projecting bowed supports tor the article to be packed, the pairs of said complementai extension members being disposed at right angles to each other.

EDWARD STONE.

sari-stances crrnn The following references are of record in the file 0:! this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 668,705 Baskerville Feb. 28, 1901 1,041,992 Gazzolo Oct. 22, 1912 1,124,122 Foyle Jan. 15, 1915 1,284,817 Tinsley Nov. 12, 1918 1,343,002 Markert' June 8, 1920 1,506,587 Hunt Aug. 26, 1924 1,791,629 Mann Feb. 10, 1981 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain Oct. '1, 1923 

